Label dispensing system



Oct. 2, 1956 P. J. CAPELLA ETAL LABEL DISPENSING SYSTEM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Oct. 12. 1954 INVENTORS L wrence Ban/E 1 1 am Cape a ATTORNEY Oct.2, 1956 P. J. CAPELLA ET AL 2,765,205

LABEL DISPENSING SYSTEM Filed Oct. 12. 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 alflvENToRs Laaj Fence Elan 5mm Capel I ATTORNEY Oct. 2, 1956 P. J.CAPELLA ETAL LABEL. DISPENSING SYSTEM Filed Oct. 12. 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet3 INVENTORS rence Elan/k Lagz/ Pr;

ATTORNEY United States LABEL msrnNsmo SYSTEM Primo J. Capella,Whitestone, and Lawrence Blank, Forest Hills, N. Y.

The present invention relates to a label dispensing device and itparticularly relates to a method and means for dispensing labels with apressure sensitive adhesive coating, which labels are carried upon astrip or tape carrier.

In the dispensing of labels which are temporarily carried upon a stripor tape carrier, it has been necessary to limit the label to relativelystiff material and at the same time to provide a carrier of relativelyflexible material so that the label with the pressure sensitive adhesivecoating thereon could be readily separated from the fiexible carrierincidental to dispensation and usage because of the relative differencein stir'fness of the label and carrier.

Accordingly, the labels had to be made of relatively stilt papermaterials while the carrier strip had to be made of a relativelyflexible thin glassine paper. Due to these requirements, it was notreadily possible to use flexible labels of the type of thin plasticsheet materials, such as cellulose acetate and other cast or extrudedplastic materials, and there was great limitation as to the type ofmaterial which could be used as a carrier strip or tape.

Furthermore, there was considerable difficulty experienced in strippingthe label from the carrier strip preliminarily to being attached fortheir intended purpose.

For example, where the labels were used as masks in connection with apainting or paint spraying operation, as for example to cover chromespots, keyholes or other places in and about an automobile body, itrequired the services of one man just to detach the labels from thecarrier strip and place them on another temporary carrier on bottomwhile another man had to be available to remove the labels or masks froman intermediate carrier to be applied to the automobile carrier itselfbefore paint spraying.

Furthermore, in cases where large quantities of articles were to bemarked with prices, such as shoes, cans or boxes in self-servicedepartment stores or markets, the

labor of at least two and sometimes many persons were required first todetach the label with the pressure sensitive coating from the carrierstrip and then subsequently to apply the label to the can, box or otherarticle without destruction of the pressure sensitive coating ordeterioration of the pressure sensitive coating.

Furthermore, in hand separation of the labels from a carrier strip,considerable difliculty was experienced by the operator in removing thelabels, particularly when they were small, from the strip withoutbending or defacing the labels and without undesirably affecting thepressure sensitive adhesive coating.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a novellabel dispensing system in which any type or material of adhesivebacking or carrier tape or strip may be utilized without regard to thestifiness or body thereof, and in which the label may be made of anysuitable pliable or stiif paper or plastic material, either plain orprinted, and previously cut or die-cut after application to the carriertape.

atent "ice Another object is to provide a label dispensing system inwhich the pressure sensitive coated labels may be readily detached fromthe carrier incidental to usage or consumption thereof withoutintermediate removal and 'carrier operations and with only one operatorbeing required to remove the label from the tape and to apply such labelimmediately thereafter to the article being marked with a price, to thedevice being masked for painting or for any other purpose.

Another object is to provide a high speed, low labor label dispensingand application system which may be widely utilized for application oftrademarks, product identification, guarantees, price labels, salesstickers, special feature labels, special promotion stickers, point ofsale stickers, product information, warning labels, specialinstructions," address changes, package labels, contents labels, colorcoating maintenance instructions and advertising tie-in labels, all witha minimum of labor and with easy and ready operation from a carriersheet or tape, regardless of its thickness or body and withoutintermediate storage or separation operations.

Another object is to provide a low cost, high speed label applicationsystem for advertising and merchandising work, which enables readyapplication to pressure sensitive labels, to packages, products or anyclean, smooth display surfaces without moistening or waste motion andwith assurance that the labels will be immediately disengaged from theircarrier and will stick tight and wont dry out, curl or pop ed and willstay neat and attractive though roughly handled, and at the same timewhich may be easily removed without soaking or scraping.

Another object is to provide a label dispensing system which will permitthe use of any suitable type of pressure sensitive adhesive or carriertape, whether of cloth, acetate film, cellophane, polyester film, vinylfilm, lead foil, aluminum foil, cloth, paper, linen or glassinematerials.

Still further objects and advantages will appear in the more detaileddescription set forth below, it being understood, however, that thismore detailed description is given by way of illustration andexplanation only and not by way of limitation, since various changestherein may be made by those skilled in the art without departing fromthe scope and spirit of the present invention.

in accomplishing the above objects, it has been found most satisfactoryaccording to one embodiment of the present invention to provide acarrier or storage place for a roll of the carrier strip, upon whichcarrier strip will be positioned the pressure adhesive labels.

The carrier strip preferably is of such a material so as to preventpenetration of moisture or oxygen to the adhesive surface of the labelmounted thereon, and at the same time should be so coated as not toadhere to and be readily removable from the carrier strip.

Although glassine papers is usually a most suitable carrier, it ispossible to make the backing or lining or carrier strip or tape of anysuitable type of cloth, paper, acetate film, vinyl film or othersynthetic or natural film materials, such as for example regeneratedcellulose film or "cellophane.

The can'ier tape strip or backing is desirably slit longitudinally ofthe length thereof and intermediat'ely of the transverse width of thelabel so that as the strip approaches a point of dispensation, part ofthe backing strip may be first removed, permitting a section of thepressure sensitive label to project and be subject to ready detachmentfrom the balance of the carrier strip tape or other backing or liningmaterial.

It has been found most desirable to strip the liner or backing fromabout half the lateral width of the label,

so that the label may be readily removed and may be grasped by theperson who is to apply it to the article or surface which is to carrythe marking.

Where a large number of labels are positioned in side by siderelationship, as in connection with disks or small circular markers, anumber of strips of the backing material may be pre-perforated orpre-scored longitudinally of the direction of the strip so as to leaveportions of the labels exposed as to permit ready detachment thereof.Desirably this intermediate stripping is done automatically, incidentalto the usage and dispensing of the labels and desirably may be done byan intermediate label feeding system which will separate the backingstrip at a point prior to dispensation and cause the labels which are tobe detached to be fed along with only a part of the carrier strip inposition.

This may be done manually by a manual tape feed machine or automaticallyby a motor driven tape feed machine.

Desirably the partial stripping takes place a sufficient distance fromthe position where complete stripping takes place as to enable acontinuous supply of partly stripped labels to be presented to the useror consumer at all times.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists ofthe novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts ashereinafter more specifically described, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention,but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modificationscan be resorted to which fall within the scope of the claims hereuntoappended.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote correspondingparts throughout the several views:

Fig. l is a top plane view of one form of machine for feeding and partlystripping the carrier, with the pressure sensitive labels positionedthereonshowing a motor drive.

Fig. 2 is a side elevations view taken from the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical side sectional view of an alternativeembodiment as compared to Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top perspective view showing the partialstripping of a carrier strip with laterally extending labels, thelongitudinal axis of which is transverse to the longitudinal axis of thecarrier strip or tape. Fig. 5 is a top perspective view showing thedispensation of a strip of labels in which the longitudinal axis of thelabel is parallel or coincides with the longitudinal axis of the carrierstrip.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary top perspective view showing the use of aplurality of small labels which are carried in lateral side by siderelationship upon a single carrier tape, and sections of which arepartly stripped so as to permit ready manual grasping and removal of thelabels from the balance of the carrier strip.

Fig. 7 is a top elevational view similar to Fig. 1 of still anotheralternative manual label feeding and partial stripping arrangement.

Fig.8 is a side sectional view taken upon the line 88 of Fig. 7, showinga side view of the alternative embodiment of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken upon the line 99of Fig. 8, and upon an enlarged scale as compared with Fig. 8, showingmanual feed arrangement.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown a casing A having a pin B inwhich is received a roll C of the carrier strip. The carrier strip Ccarries a series of labels D, which are normally held in position bymeans of the break arrangement E.

The carrier strip C, with the labels D, is normally fed to the partialstripping position P where one-half of the film tape or liner G isdetached, and the other half H continues carrying the partly strippedlabels 1'. These 4- labels I have the projective portions K, by whichthey may be readily grasped and then applied by the person operating themachine to the article desired.

In Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are shown three different typical label carriercombinations. Fig. 4 shows the combination which is being used in thesystem of Figs. 1 and 2.

In Figs. 5 and 6, similarly functioning parts are indicated by the sameletters as in Fig. 4, except that the same elements are indicated by aprime in the embodiment of Fig. 5 and by a superior 2 in the embodimentof Fig. 6.

In Fig. 5 the labels D have their axis parallel to or coincidental withthe axis of the carrier tape C. A much shorter portion of the label at Kwill be available for grasping and removal from the balance H of thecarrier tape.

In the embodiment of Fig. 6 a series of disks are shown at D which mayconsist of spot labels carried upon the tapes C In this instance aseries of strips G are partly stripped away from the residual carrierstrips H and the disks may then be readily grasped at their overhangingportions K and removed for application.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the dispensing casing A has the side walls10 and 11. The side wall 10 terminates at 13 while the side wall 11 hasa continued portion at 14, and it projects substantially beyond theterminating edge 13 of the side wall 10.

These side walls are held in proper space relationship by the throughbolts 14, 15, 16 and 17, which are in turn held in position by the nuts18, 19, 20 and 21. Catn'ed between the through bolts 16 and 17 is thepin arrangement B, which has a lower fiat horizontal attachment portion22, a vertical position 23, a semi-circular curved trough or receptacleportion 24, a fiat guide portion 25, a vertical down guide portion 26, acurved downwardly and obliquely forwardly extending portion 27 andfinally a bottom attachment portion 28.

The attachment portions 22 and 28 are respectively connected to thethrough bolts 16 and 17.

The lower edges of the side walls 10 and 11 also carry the foot supports29 and 30, which may be adjustable, if desired, to maintain thedispenser in level position on the table top or base 31.

Carried on the through bolt 14 are the adjustable side knives or guideblades 32 and 33, the position of which may be adjusted on the bolt 14by means of the thumb screws 34 and 35.

The blades 32 and 33 will hold the roll centrally in position inside ofthe trough portion 24 and assure that the labels D and the strip C willbe properly fed toward partial shipping position F.

The brake member E has a rubber foot 45 which rests upon the label stripand which is carried on the base of the spring portion 46 having theupturned and overturned member 47. The strip 46 then continues in thearched portion 48, which terminates in the vertical end portion 49, heldin position by the screw 50 on the cross rod or spacer bolt 14.

In addition to the brake B, there may also be provided the resilientpresser plate 51 held in position by the pins or bolts 52 on the crossrod or through bolt 15.

After the strip, with attached labels, passes over the guide 25 andunder the brake member 45 and the presser plate 51, it is stripped atposition F. At position F onehalf of the strip G will pass down betweenthe corrugated rolls 53 and 54, which are mounted between the rods 55and 56 in the side plates 10 and 11. These intermeshing corrugatedrollers 53 and 54 will grasp the strip G after ripping or separating thestrip C along the score line 100.

This strip, as shown in Fig. 3, will be fed downwardly, as indicated at57, where the waste strip will be disposed of. The balance of the stripH will then move in direction 58 to the roller or sleeve 59, which ridesupon 'a bolt 60 carried by the side plate extension 14.

'In the space indicated by the double arrow 61, onehalf of the labelwill project beyond the residual portion H of the carrier tape and maybe readily removed by grasping the projecting edge thereof and strippingit from the balance of the carrier tape.

The strip, after removal of the labels, will then continue downwardly,as indicated at 62, and will pass over the roller 63 on the rod 64.

It will then pass upwardly, as indicated at 65 in Fig. 2, to between thecorrugated rollers 53 and 54, and will then move downwardly to Wastetogether with the balance of the previously stripped portion, asindicated at 57.

The angle bracket 67 is held in position on the wall 11 by means of thescrew 68, which is held in position on the motor body 66 by means of thescrew 69. The motor body will have a drive shaft 70, which will beconnected by suitable reduction gearing to the shafts 55, 56 and 70,which actually drive or pull upon the strip H, as well as the downwardlyextending partial stripped portion G.

' In the alternative embodiment of Fig. 3 similarly functionin g partsare indicated by the same numerals and letters provided with a superior3.

In Fig. 3 there is shown an arm or handle 99, which is pivotally mountedon the shaft 101, which also carries the ratchet wheel or disc 102.

The arm or handle 99 carries the driving pole member 103, which ispivotally mounted at 164, and which is held down by the spring 105.

The ratchet wheel 1G2 meshes with pinions 106 and 107, which drive theshafts 55 and 56 The break is held down by the resilient arm 51 upon thestrip C as it advances to partial stripping position at F In operationas the arm or handle 99 is pressed downwardly, the pole 103 will drivethe ratchet wheel 103 and shaft 55 and 56 to partially strip a row oflabels K The brake 15 will prevent any advance of the label strip Cbeyond the amount regulated by reciprocating arm.

This manual operation by the arm or handle 99 is suitable where only afew labels K are to be used at a time.

Where a large number of labels K are to be used, the strip A may bedriven by a motor drive such as shown at 66 in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the alternative embodiment of Figs. 7, 8 and 9 similarly functioningparts are indicated by same numerals and letters provided with asuperior 4.

As shown in Fig. 7 the rubber brake pad 15 is held by the resilient arm51 and it has a bent support member 159, which is mounted by means ofthe screw 151. It is provided with the loop member 152 above the rubberpad 154.

The role of tape C carrying the labels is held in the trough 24 and thedrive is accomplished by the handle or lever 99 This lever or handle 99is fixed to the shaft 101 by means of the hub 153 and the set screw 154(see Fig. 9).

The adjusting disc 155 will enable regulation of the throw of the arm 99The shaft 101 will drive the gear 192*. The gear 102 carries the ratchetarrangement 156, which has a recess 157, the periphery of which has aplurality of teeth 158.

Fixed to the shaft 101 is the plate 159, which carries the pole 169.Said pole 166 cooperates with the teeth 158 in the recess 157.

The other side of the plate 159 is provided with a stud 161 to which isattached a spring 162, and the spring 162 at its lower end 163 isconnected to the shaft structure 28 The drive in this case will be fromthe handle 99 through the shaft 101 through the plate 159, the pole 160and the ratchet 158.

The ratchet 158 is mounted on the gear 102 by means of the screw 164.The gear 102 will drive the pinion 165, which in turn will drive thepinions 106 and 107.

This drive will cause a feeding ofthe label strip C The slot 166 in theadjustment disc 155 will regulate the throw of the handle 99*, and willreturn the handle 99" to its uppermost position, as is shown in Figs. 7and 8.

By the method thus described, it is possible to remove labels mostreadily and with a minimum of manual operation and without intermediatestripping and storing operations from a carrier tape C by merelypreliminary perforating or pro-scoring the carrier strip, as indicatedat 100.

This will save considerable labor and will enable rapid ispensation of alarge number of pressure sensitive labels when required without previousarrangement.

The thickness, flexibility and stiffness of the carrier strip and thelabels D may be varied, and instead of always requiring the labels D tobe of stiffer material than the flexible strip C, it is possible to havelabels D which are of most flexible material and a much wider variety ofmasking tapes, backings, linings, labels and markers may be employed,whether of cloth, acetate, cellophane, polyester film, vinyl film, metalfoil or paper or plastic sheet materials of wide variety.

Either the manually driven arrangement of Figs. 3, 7 and 8, or the motordriven arrangement of Figs. 1 and 2 may be utilized to achieve thedispensing system of the present invention.

The present invention is applicable to all die cut shapes whether usefulas labels, masks, pasters or for other purposes and whether such die cutshapes are printed or plain and whether they are of fabric, paper,plastic sheet materials or the like.

The backing may also consist of various materials whether paper, plasticor fabric and the backing sheet may be so split, scored or otherwiserendered tearable or separable so that it will render exposed a smallpart of the label or die cut shape or a large part of the label or diecut shape.

Referring to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, where it is shown that the score lines100, and 100 extend under the middle of the die cut shapes or labels K,K and K these score lines, cutting lines or tear lines may also bedisplaced so that they will expose anywhere from one-quarter tothreequarters of the die cut shape or label or more or less.

instead of the corrugated driving rollers, shown at 53 and 54 in Fig. 2,or 53 or 54 in Fig. 3, it is possible to use other methods of feedingthe backing strip, and smooth rollers may be used as well as other guideand drive means.

The die-cut shapes may be suitably printed before or after attachment tothe backing sheet and before or after die cutting.

Although rectangular and circular shapes are shown in Figs. 4 to 6, itis apparent that a wide variety of shapes, forms and sizes as well as awide variety of symbolic shapes and sizes may be employed. a

The present machine and method may also be applied to double-coated ordouble-faced adhesive tapes, strips, cutout or. similarpressure-sensitive material.

These double-faced adhesive strips may be in continuous lengths or theymay have been die-cut to be placed upon the back of implements,ornaments, labels or the like.

Desirably, one pressuresensitive adhesive device in diecut or shapedform is applied to a longitudinally slit or scored carrier tape whilethe other side has readily removable cover strips thereon which may beremoved after one adhesive face has been removed from the carrier tapeand applied to an emblem, initial, trade-mark or even to such materialsas sachets or feathers to be attached to greeting cards, for example.

In this manner it is possible to most readily apply adhesive backings tovarious types of implements, labels, cutouts or even to such irregulararticles as sachets or feather which are to be mounted upon otherarticles. ii

Instead of restricting the pressure-sensitive adhesive to the back ofthe die-cut shape or label, it may also or infaces and so forth may bereadily shipped, stored, merchandised and distributed in this manner andthen removed by the user from the carrier at the place of application orassembly.

While there has been herein described a preferred form of the invention,it should be understood that the same may be altered in details and inrelative arrangement of parts within the scope of the appended claims.

' Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of theinvention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, what isclaimed is:

1. A method of dispensing pressure sensitive adhesivecoated die cutshapes or labels from a carrier strip carrying the same which comprisesfirst partly stripping the carrier strip and removing the die cut shapeor label from the balance of the strip, said carrier strip being fedhorizontally past spaced first and second positions, the first positionserving as a partial stripping position at which the-carrier strip islongitudinally removed and the labels being removable by hand betweenthe first and second positions. 1

2. A method of dispensing pressure sensitive adhesivecoated die cutshapes or labels from a carrier strip carrying the same which comprisesfirst partly stripping the carrier strip and removing the die cut shapeor label from the balance of the strip, said carrier strip beinglongitudinally scored so that a part thereof may be readily strippedfrom the pressure sensitive side of the shapes or labels, said carrierstrip being fed horizontally past spaced first and second positions, thefirst position serving as a partial stripping position at which thecarrier strip is longitudinally removed and the labels being removableby hand between the first and second positions.

3. A method of dispensing pressure sensitive adhesivecoated die cutshapes or labels from a carrier strip carrying the same which comprisesfirst partly stripping the carrier strip and removing the die cut shapeor label from the balance of the strip, said strip being longitudinallypre-formed so that a part thereof may be readily removed from the backsof the pressure sensitive shapes or labels, said carrier strip being fedhorizontally past spaced first and second positions, the first positionserving as a partial stripping position at which the carrier strip islongitudinally removed and the labels being removable by hand betweenthe first and second positions.

4. A method of dispensing pressure sensitive adhesive coated die cutshapes or labels from a carrier strip carrying the same which comprisesfirst partly stripping the carrier strip and removing the die cut shapeor label from the balance of the strip, said labels being partly sostripped thata substantial part of the shapes or labels will projectover the free edge of the residual carrier strip, said carrier stripbeing fed horizontally past spaced first and second positions, the firstposition serving as a partial stripping position at which the carrierstrip is longitudinally removed and the labels being removable by handbetween the first and second positions.

5. A dispensing mechanism comprising a carrier for a roll of pressuresensitive adhesive-coated die cut shapes or labels and means to strippart of the carrier from the pressure sensitive shapes or labels, saidcarrier strip being fed horizontally past spaced first and secondpositions, the first position serving as a partial stripping position atwhich the carrier strip is longitudinally removed and thelabels beingremovable by hand between the first and second positions.

6. A dispensing'mechanism comprising a carrier for a roll of pressuresensitive adhesive-coated die cut shapes or labels and means to strippart of the carrier from the pressure sensitive shapes or labels, saidmeans including a pair of driving rollers to engage and strip part ofthe carrier from the pressure sensitive shapes or labels and guiderollers to carry the residual carrier strip to and beyond a place ofdispensation, said mechanism being provided with spaced first and secondcarrier rollers to carry the carrier for the labels horizontally fromthe first carrier rollers serving as said stripping means and saidlabels being removable by hand between said first and second rollers.

7. A dispensing mechanism comprising a carrier for a roll of pressuresensitive adhesive-coated die cut shapes or labels and means to strippart of the carrier from the pressure sensitive shapes or labels, saidmeans including a pair of driving rollers to engage and strip part ofthe carrier from the pressure sensitive shapes or labels and guiderollers to carry the residual carrier strip to and beyond a place ofdispensation, said place of dispensation permitting exposure of at leasthalf of the shapes or labels beyond the edge of the residual carrierstrip, said mechanism being provided with spaced first and secondcarrier rollers to carry the carrier for the labels horizontally fromthe first carrier roller serving as said stripping means and said labelsbeing removable by hand between said first and second rollers.

8. A dispensing mechanism comprising a carrier for a roll of pressuresensitive adhesive-coated die cut shapes or labels and means to strippart of the carrier from the pressure sensitive shapes or labels, andmanually actuated means to operate said stripping means, said mechanismbeing provided with spaced first and second carrier rollers to carry thecarrier for the labels horizontally from the first carrier rollersserving as said stripping means and said labels being removable by handbetween said first and second rollers.

9. A dispensing mechanism comprising a carrier for a roll of pressuresensitive adhesive-coated die cut shapes or labels and means to strippart of the carrier from the pressure sensitive shapes or labels andmotor driving means to actuate said stripping means, said mechanismbeing provided with spaced first and second carrier rollers to carry thecarrier for the labels horizontally from the first carrier rollersserving as said stripping means and said labels being removable by handbetween said first and second rollers.

10. A label dispensing machine comprising a roll supply of a strip ofspaced pressure adhesive backed labels arranged in a row and a carrierstrip longitudinally slit below said labels so that if part of thecarrier strip is removed the labels will project over and may be readilyremoved, said machine having parallel spaced rollers over Which saidstrip is passed, the first roller serving partly to strip the carrierstrip and the second roller serving to wind up the residual carrierstrip, the space between the rollers with the projecting labels servingto enable ready removal of the labels.

11. The machine of claim 10 in which said rollers feed the separatedcarrier strip to a common wind-up point below said rollers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,197,078 Thiebaut Sept. 5, 1916 1,735,340 Smith Nov. 12, 1929 1,883,421Stevens Oct. 18, 1932 1,985,821 Field Dec. 25, 1934 2,304,787 Avery Dec.15, 1942 2,487,061 .Ptasnik Nov. 8, 1949 2,491,281 .Rowe Dec. 13, 19492,511,953 'Tallman June 20, 1950

